The area around a fireplace opening is usually surfaced with non-combustible natural materials, such as brick or tile. This non-combustible area is generally referred to as a surround or facing. A surround is generally thought of as providing an aesthetic or decorative enhancement that compliments or accents the room decor. The surround has a functional purpose as well. The surround or facing, provides a non-combustible protective area around the fireplace opening which serves as a safety zone, isolating normal combustible building materials from the heat and flames emanating from the fireplace opening. Most of the traditional non-combustible materials are installed by specialized tradesmen that possess the skills of applying these materials to surfaces around a fireplace opening. When installed around an actual fireplace or any location where the invention might be exposed to excessive heat or flames, the invention would be manufactured of non-combustible materials. However, when installed for purely decorative purposes, the invention can be made from many other materials.
Traditional materials, such as tile or brick, are very labor intensive to install, because there are a number of individual pieces that must be handled and installed. In addition, there is a high degree of training and experience needed to install these natural materials in a competent and aesthetic manner. The task is complicated because of the large number of pieces that must be precisely aligned on the installation surface in both the vertical and horizontal planes. Further, the traditional materials are heavy and are prone to breakage both during transport and installation. There is a need for an invention that would provide a modular substitution for the traditional materials and methods. The invention would have to be easy to assemble and install by lay persons who possess a basic knowledge of hand tool use. Complete packaging would make it much easier to inventory, store and transport without the traditional breakage and space required by traditional materials. The invention would often be installed in conjunction with factory-built metal fireplaces and factory-built decorative gas appliances. The installation of the invention requires many of the same skills as those that are required to assemble and install fireplaces and appliances. Thus, the same workmen who are installing the fireplace or appliance could also install the invention, eliminating the need to hire and schedule an additional crew of workmen.
An earlier embodiment of this invention, described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/800,500, was a significant advance over previous methods. However, the embodiment as described previously required assembly of the whole surround and then installation around the opening, which often was awkward for one person and was most efficiently performed by two people. In addition, the previous embodiment did not include a means to handle exposed corners that would be found on free standing or peninsula-type fireplaces.